


Common Tongue

by withered



Series: Who's been lovin' you good? [36]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Flirting, Flirting is a language they both speak, Implied Relationship, M/M, Not Team Captain America Friendly, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), They do it because they're petty, To confirmed relationship, implied sexual relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-16 05:45:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18088559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withered/pseuds/withered
Summary: Tony is well-versed in the multiple ways of annoying people, that Rogers happens to be constantly scandalized by his flirting with Bucky is really just a gift onto itself.In Tony's defence, Bucky started it.





	Common Tongue

 

“You’re a pain the ass, Stark,” Barton growls, and before Tony can reply _,_ Barnes interjects coolly, “Only when it’s his turn.”

Rogers chokes, but Tony doesn’t even notice because he’s done a full-body pause and has turned his not-unsubstantial focus on the Winter Munchkin who’s doing a pretty good job of pretending he hasn’t just turned Tony’s entire worldview on its head.

See, Tony’s well-versed in multiple ways of annoying people. 

He’s never met anyone he couldn’t crack with nothing more than a few words; biting, tactless, flirtatious, it doesn’t matter.

Whether he’s weaving outrageous tales as a distraction or to cruise over people’s defences, or dropping casual observations that cause the object of his attention discomfort; the results vary, but they’re successes, nonetheless.

It’s a natural talent, a honed skill, and an acquired taste.

So, finally meeting someone who speaks his language – and it being the guy who’s had his mind and body put into the equivalent of a blender on puree for an hour – is _just so many levels of Holy Fucking Shit._

Barnes has been quiet almost the entire time he’s been here, and to have him voluntarily talking and flexing his stuff in _Tony’s defence_ in front of his _supposed best friend_?

“I think I’m in love with you,” Tony hears himself say.

Barnes raises his brows in apparent surprise. “Because I let you top or –”

“ _Bucky,”_ Rogers interjects, scandalized, and Tony’s never been more thrilled.

He can admit that it’s a little bit because this is arguably the best thing to happen since the Rogues were returned to the United States, but also because the Problem he’s been wrangling with in the month since the Rogues’ relocation to the Compound has seemingly solved itself.

The Problem being that with no way to kick his former teammates to the curb without causing an international incident and putting in danger all they’ve worked for with the amendments to the Accords, Tony had been left with only his words to soften the blow.

Or do the exact opposite, in some cases.

Barton and the Witch are the easiest to rile up; Tony’s very existence – the need of him for both resources and funds, and his presence as a whole – is more than enough to get them spitting mad in a matter of seconds.

Tony takes no small amount of pleasure in goading them into it, but it’s a different kind of amusement to see that even when he’s genuinely helping them or being nice to them, their responses are vicious and cruel and flat out _ridiculous_ to anyone who witnesses it.

Variety, he finds, truly is the spice of life.

And with Fury, Rhodey and Carol making it clear that _there will be no physical altercations or so help you, God,_ they can do nothing but fume; raising concerns from all and sundry that the Rogues _aren’t quite right._

A sentiment echoed with Romanoff’s behaviour. 

She’d been the only one to know Tony before their acquaintance with the rest of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, and she’s aware of the many masks he has purely because their collections are comparable. That he chose to stone-wall her with consistent, unwavering professional courtesy he only reserves for SI board meetings, infuriates and frustrates her to the bafflement of anyone who is unaware of Tony’s special brand of annoying that belies his affection.

 It’s the coldest and most distant Tony knows how to be, and with that line drawn, Romanoff isn’t coming any closer to him or his.

Which was, unsurprisingly, the same way Rogers treated Tony with regard to one, Bucky Barnes.

Rogers, Tony has come to accept, is only saddened and annoyed at the situation he’s found himself in rather than having any sort of feelings towards Tony himself.

The engineer would be insulted considering all that has happened between them, the betrayals that ripped Tony to pieces on the floor of that Siberian bunker a year ago, but Rogers has always been more self-centred than he let others believe.

With the loss of the automatic esteem and respect of simply _being_ Captain America; having to accept that he isn’t above and beyond the chain of command thanks to Carol, and now _Bucky’s_ behaviour towards Tony, and well – the hits just keep on coming.

Whether it’s his and Barnes' flirting over the comms with exchanges of, “On your six, handsome” and replies of, “Thanks, darlin’” to threats of, “I swear to God, I will give sex up for lent, Barnes” to moans of, “But doll, you’re Jewish”.

His Rhodey-bear is jealous for all of ten seconds before he realizes that Rogers constantly looks like he’s having an aneurysm, and then Platypus is joining in on the fun with a groan of, “For Christ’s sake, all I ask is that you two remember to set the room to ‘privacy’ when we get back. Accidentally hearing your version of make-up sex was bad enough the first time, you can’t be exposing that to Fri.” 

And then it’s like opening a door or setting off a bomb because then the kids get involved and suddenly Barnes spends half the time looking baffled that Peter, Harley and RiRi want to hang out with him, and the other half of the time looking all squishy and soft over it like he never expected anyone to willingly be around him all.

And that just won’t do.

Their history aside, Barnes isn’t a bad guy; he’s witty and sarcastic and secretly a giant nerd, with a petty streak a mile wide against Rogers’ insistent pleas of “ _But Bucky, this isn’t you”_ which is frankly all sorts of Not Okay considering what Barnes has been through.

Being forcibly drafted, almost falling to his death and then _not_ , is already rough enough, but to be taken by Nazis, experimented on, tortured and mind-controlled on top of everything else? It’s a damn miracle Barnes isn’t a vegetable, Rogers should just be grateful he got Barnes back at all.

So, when it comes to Tony’s attention that Rogers’ is _not_ , it’s an injustice Tony has no reason to see go unpunished.

If Rogers won’t accept this “new” Bucky, Tony will.

“I got you a gift, puddin’.”

The result is essentially homemade dynamite.

Barnes looks so awed by it, there’s a possibility he’s on the verge of shedding a tear. “Is this…actually for me?”

“You’re damned right,” Tony declares, all pride and bluster, “I put a bow on it and everything.”

“You made it already?” Barnes asks and he looks up at Tony with big, stupidly blue eyes, all pleasant surprise and aching hopefulness.

“Tony,” Rogers interjects with a scowl, “Bucky already has an arm.”

“Yeah,” Barton joins, “and you said you aren’t making weapons for us anymore.” A point of contention that Tony fought every government on the UN over.

While Tony was more than happy to keep researching and developing tactical gear in preparation for Thanos’ arrival, none of the offensive equipment would be available for mass production – Stark Industries was no longer in the weapons making business and that was that on that. However, exceptions could always be made, and let it be said that Tony Stark never met a loophole he couldn’t exploit when it suited him.

“Correction: I’m not making weapons _for you._ But I can give gifts, and let’s be honest here, I give the best ones. Besides,” he says, turning his attention back to Barnes who was still a hundred percent dazed over the hologram blueprint presented to him, “this is more a _helping hand_ than a weapon, no?”

Rogers exhales, his frustration coming out in a huff, “Tony, Bucky doesn’t need -”

“You like it, babe?” Tony interrupts to ask Barnes, raising his brows and conveying an expression of _tell me honestly what you think_ _, I don’t even care what this fucker has to say –_

And Barnes, honest to God, smiles. “Baby,” he exhales a caress and a longing sigh in one, “it’s beautiful…”

“Thank you!” Tony says, once again over any of Rogers’ protests. “Though I can’t take all the credit, Princess Shuri and I had a ball.”

Barton looks like he’s on the verge of flipping shit. No doubt he’d been exposed to some of Wakanda’s arsenal under the Princess’ technological guidance, and to be prevented and excluded so blatantly? Ah, his misplaced, righteous anger is practically ambrosia. _My ass is going straight to hell,_ Tony thinks with an inward snicker.

Barnes, on the other hand, grins slow and mischievous like he knows exactly how efficient Tony’s level of pettiness is, and drawls, “Be honest, darlin’, how much of this gift is so I’ll walk around with your name on me?”

Tony pouts. “In my defence, your dumb Super Soldier healing factor gets rid of all the bruises I leave on you.”

“True,” he sighs before following it up with a leer, “guess that leaves the mark making to me.”

And before Tony could even think to counter with anything at all, Barnes stands, closing the distance between them and pressing in close – lining hot, firm muscle against Tony to contrast soft, wet lips against the sensitive skin below his ear before he purrs a promise for only Tony to hear, “Just say the word, darlin’, I’ll put ‘em anywhere you want.”

He licks his lips. “Anywhere?”

Barnes' eyes darken with promise, and lacing his fingers through Tony’s with his free hand, proceeds to drag him away.

“Wait,” Rogers stutters, “Bucky, where are you goin -”

Which makes Barnes huff, all annoyance as he throws over his shoulder, “To mark my fella up, what do you think, Stevie?”

And if Tony thought _flirting_ with Bucky could get Rogers’ blood pressure climbing, showing up to their next debrief with a wandering trail of hickeys disappearing down the neck of his shirt practically puts Rogers through all five floors of the Compound.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> As usual, this didn't go the way I wanted it too, but I'm still in a weird place writing-wise so like, at least I tried?  
> [Click here if you want to find out more about my work](https://everything-withered.tumblr.com/)


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